Mother's Day Blu-rayReview

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Mom is very angry.

By R.L. Shaffer

Mother's Day is one of two horror pictures in a row from director Darren Lynn Bousman that takes advantage of a gimmicky title (the other being 11-11-11). Thankfully, unlike 11-11-11, Mother's Day doesn't wear out its gimmick in just one day. That said, 11-11-11, while still pretty terrible, is oddly better, and slightly more compelling than this mess.

Mother's Day finished production way back in 2009, but sat on the shelf for years until finally getting a release in 2012 in the US, just in time for the holiday of which the film was named. On some levels this helped build anticipation for horror lovers who hoped the film was some sort of lost gem – an underdog of the system that Hollywood didn't want you to see. However, in reality, a delay of that length doesn't inspire much confidence in the product. And it doesn't take long to see where Mother's Day, a remake of a goofy exploitation picture from the folks at Troma, went wrong. The film is a messy, grimy concoction of intense graphic violence, attempted rape and nasty torture, spun with the thinnest thread of tension and dread.

The film starts off with a small group of young 20-30 somethings (including stars Jaime King, Shawn Ashmore and Briana Evigan) enjoying an evening of drinking and partying. Things go south pretty quickly when a band of thieves break in thinking their mother still lives in the home, which was recently purchased by one of the young couples. The film takes an even stranger turn when the mother (played by Rebecca De Mornay) actually shows up and somehow manages to be more sick and sadistic than her children. What follows is an overlong series of bits, basically, each more graphic and gruesome than the next, as the thieves and their eerie mother work their way through the group, tearing down their character psyches, and torturing them in the most brutal ways.

With a running time of nearly two hours, the film is a genuine chore to get through, especially if torture isn't your favorite flavor of horror. None of the characters are particularly likeable, and the narrative makes more than a few completely ridiculous leaps in logic. One scene involving two girls having to choose which one survives was particularly stupid. But it's just one scene is a series of equally dumb sequences.

Mother's Day is one of those horror films where tension isn't really the focus, though it pretends it is. If the original film and the remake have one thing in common (make no mistake, this is mostly a name-only remake), it's that both are hardened exploitation pictures. But at least the original was cheesier and often hokey. This redo stacks realistic violence on top of lifeless tension and bad characters, and never once seems to wink at the audience. Everyone is taken seriously, which grows more and more disturbing as the picture progresses. If disturbing and ugly are two characteristics you look for in a movie, Mother's Day will practically play like pornography.

The problem is, with films like this, the only way to build tension is a slow brew mixed with sporadic bursts of action, horror or both. If you examine a few horror classics, it'll become pretty clear that they all mostly follow a similar roller coaster formula. They're all fairly short, too – running 100 minutes or less. Most barely even clock in at 85-90 minutes. There's a reason roller coasters are short – too long and the riders will grow numb, and all tension and excitement will be lost. That same rule applies to horror cinema. And it's a rule Darren Lynn Bousman breaks here, with disastrous results.

It's frustrating that Mother's Day takes itself so seriously, and it's a shame the film is way too long. It only offers a mean-spirited, nasty narrative and unlikable heroes who grow uglier as the film progresses. While some might praise Rebecca De Mornay for her performance as the mother, like the rest of the film, she's far too serious with what little material she's given, and she's on screen for far too long, cutting the effectiveness of her character with every passing scene. Speaking slowly, with a dull monotone, does not a good performance make.

Some will inevitably fall in love with Mother's Day. After all, it's a pretty gruesome, mean picture with plenty of awful, grisly graphic violence – and that's all some gorehounds crave. But for those more than a little burnt out on torture horror, this film will only serve as a harsh reminder of why the genre is completely spent.

Exit Theatre Mode

The film comes to Blu-ray encoded in 1080p/AVC, mixed in 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. Shot on 35MM, Mother's Day looks rather impressive, rich with detailed images, fine shadows and inky blacks. Colors are spot on, and flesh tones are pretty consistent. Rarely does the encode falter, either. Only a very faint hint of noise was detected, but it was never very distracting.

Audio is fairly aggressive, adding some texture and atmosphere where needed. Action sequences are well designed, too. Like 11-11-11, most of the film's "scares" derive from the sound design, and not the film itself. Dialogue is clean and crisp, too. Bass is effective, adding plenty of heft to a few key action/horror beats.

Extras, beyond the bonus DVD copy of the film, consist of just one goodie – a rather insightful commentary with director Darren Lynn Bousman and actor Shawn Ashmore. The duo walk you through the entire production, and rarely run out of energy along the way. That said, if you don't really like the film, you're probably not going to want to sit through this track. Alas, that's the only extra here. Darren Lynn Bousman spoke of deleted scenes, including a fairly lengthy scene that was cut for pacing. Unfortunately, those scenes are nowhere to be found here.

Mother's Day should appeal to Darren Lynn Bousman's fans, and those with a taste or affection for torture horror. Others really needn't bother. The film isn't scary, nor is it all that tense. Rather, it's just violent, brutal and mean-spirited, without a shred of humor or clever style whatsoever.

Note: Mother's Day opens on May 4, 2012 with a limited theatrical run before heading to DVD, Blu-ray and VOD on May 8, 2012.

"Cross over children. All are welcome. All welcome. Go into the Light. There is peace and serenity in the Light." Follow R.L. Shaffer on Twitter and Facebook, and head toward the Light.